It’s the holiday season of giving. Let’s help these families.

Sheds like the ones in the background and additions to mobile homes must be removed.

A concerned citizen notified officials in the Prince William County zoning office that they felt there were building violations in the Marumsco Mobile Home Park. Because the County had received a complaint, they were obligated to investigate. In the end, the County levied 39 citations in the community of 45 homes. The violations were ones that had occurred primarily out of necessity…structures were added over the years that made the residents living arrangements more suitable to their family size or provided storage for the tools of their livelihoods. However, in many cases the structures were added after the flood plain was designated. And they were not allowable in the flood plain.

Families facing criminal charges

The County had to issue citations for the removal of the structures. Most of the violations have been taken care of by the home owner’s themselves but a few residents need help. Others are just at a loss for what to do as the additional space is vitally needed to make living in the community justifiable. Yet, anyone who hasn’t abated the violations by mid-December faces potential criminal violations with up to $2,500 in fines per occurrence or even possibly jail time.

The community is responding

Woodbridge District Supervisor Frank Principi pulled together Habitat for Humanity Prince William County, Project Mend A House, VOICE, the Woodbridge Workers Committee and Grace Lutheran Church to work with the neighborhood and help them respond to the citations before they face criminal charges. The group has organized several workdays in the community. Project Mend A House is leading volunteers on Saturday, December 9, to remove structures at four homes. Habitat for Humanity is organizing volunteer dates on December 13, 14, 15, and 16 to help with demo, to build new 3 x 3 landings and steps into the homes as needed and to build twelve new sheds on empty lots outside of the flood plain.

We need your support

Please, if you can take some time to volunteer, bring yourself, send a group from your workplace, send your college-age students who are home on break, bring your faith community, bring your friends…we welcome your participation!

$3,600 is needed to purchase twelve sheds. If you would like to buy one shed for $300, please do! If you can buy more, give generously! You can send a check to Habitat for Humanity Prince William County, P.O. Box 3111, Manassas, VA, 20108 or give online at www.habitatpwc.org/give. You may make a designation to Marumsco Mobile Home Park in the memo of the check or the Additional Comments field online.